


something that i want

by asterbells



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aftermath of Episode 16, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-01
Updated: 2016-02-01
Packaged: 2018-05-17 17:27:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5879458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asterbells/pseuds/asterbells
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everything works like clockwork until it doesn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	something that i want

**Author's Note:**

  * For [faith_xx_love](https://archiveofourown.org/users/faith_xx_love/gifts).



> for the @faith-xx-love, @angiensca, and @shishitsunari who had to deal with my constant complains about how the heck do i not plagiarize myself LOLL i hope you guys enjoy!! special thanks to faith for the amazing talk idea at the end!!
> 
> beta-ed by kira (simple-symphonia@tumblr) who said the first line beat everything else we can all go home i could have shortened this fic by 874 words smh

* * *

 

 

Adrien likes to think his life is comparable to a cuckoo clock.

 

School during the day, lunch break in between, extracurriculars (including but not limited to: basketball, fencing, photoshoots, and Chinese lessons) after school, patrol at night, and the occasional akuma attack.

 

It’s all consistent, even if the cuckoo bird (read: akuma attacks) is sometimes forgotten and has a tendency to surprise the crap out of him.

 

Sure the little cuckoo itself pops out in different forms, sometimes they’re not even _birds_ , and sure he has to keep himself on his toes to protect Ladybug and stay alive, but, hey. At the end of the day the city is saved and victims are recovered. If he’s being confident, Adrien’s gotten used to the little cuckoo bird that likes to pop out and attack him when he’s least expecting it.

 

It’s all a metaphor, really. _Tick tock tick tock_ — time for that photoshoot, _tick tock tick tock_ — time to save Paris, _tick tock tick tock_ — time to pass out for the night _tick tock tick_ —

 

Everything is fine, everything works like clockwork, everything is just as he expects.

 

Right up until, of course, Ladybug _jumps into the mouth of a Tyrannosaurus Rex_.

 

* * *

 

_(It’s all a red haze after that. The grief and horror that stabs his gut turn seconds into hours and moments into eternities. It takes a moment for him to even register that she’s okay when she cranks the dinosaur’s mouth open.)_

 

_(When his approaching detransformation makes itself known, he takes his leave, promising himself he’ll talk to his lady to make sure something like this never happens again.)_

 

_(The cuckoo’s gone, but his heart’s still racing.)_

 

* * *

 

When Chat Noir arrives for patrol 15 minutes early, Ladybug is already there waiting for him, perched on an unobtrusive ledge. He makes his way up and sits down next to her, both settling into a companionable silence.

 

It’s Ladybug who breaks the silence first.

 

“I scared you today… I scared you today when I jumped into the tyrannosaurus’ mouth, didn’t I?”

 

All Adrien can do is nod, fists clenched tightly at his sides. Ladybug chuckles softly, undeterred by her partner’s silence.

 

“You know, now you know how I feel when you jump in the way and take a hit meant for me.”

 

 _That_ , gets a strangled choke out of him and Adrien finds himself turning his head so fast he nearly gives himself whiplash.

 

“ _Lady—_ ”

 

But he can’t bring himself to manage anything more than that, not when Ladybug is smiling so sadly at him it makes his heart _ache_ and all he wants to do is hold her and hold her and never let go and—

 

“Chat Noir, we’re a team aren’t we?”

 

Startled at the sudden change in topic, Adrien can only nod his head again before Ladybug shifts closer to him, until their legs are almost touching and their hands are brushing. He wonders if she can feel how tense he is.

 

“Then,” And Ladybug’s taking his hand in hers and looking straight into his eyes— “Don’t you _trust_ me?”

 

He barely manages a startled, indignant, “ _Of course_ —” before she continues, barely blinking at his words.

 

“Then don’t you trust me enough to know that I wouldn’t _leap into a dinosaur’s mouth_ without having some sort of plan and way out?”

 

Oh.

 

_Oh._

 

The relief _crashes_ into him in a single wave, and Adrien is drowning drowning _drowning_ in the strength of her words, the surety in _her_ strength. With a shuddery exhale, he rests his head on Ladybug’s shoulder, the two of them lapsing back into a calm silence, Ladybug absentmindedly running a hand through his hair.

 

This time, it’s Adrien who breaks the silence first.

 

“It’s still scary to see your partner get chomped by an extinct dinosaur y’know. Especially when she doesn’t say anything about a plan.”

 

Rested against her as he is, he can feel Ladybug’s startlement before she starts to shake with laughter.

 

“Well,” she murmured, “It’s also scary to see your partner get hurt trying to protect you. I wasn’t kidding when I said that.”

 

Adrien grunts mutinously, that’s _different_ . Of the two _she’s_ the one with the cleansing powers and, besides, how would he be able to just sit back and let her be—

 

“So let’s make a deal then!”

 

 _Clearly_ today the cuckoo woke up on the wrong side of bed today because it needs to _stop pecking at him what_ now _oh my god_ —

 

Ladybug continues, unfazed by her partner’s shock. “If I can, _I’ll_ tell you or give you a warning about something crazy I might be doing.”

 

That, that’s good that’s fine, he very much likes that.

 

“And in return _you’ll_ , instead of taking a blow for me, try to get us _both_ out of danger’s way. Because damn it Chat Noir, if you can come in fast enough to cover for me, you can come in fast enough to get us both out the way.”

 

When Adrien finally lifts his head up to look at her, she’s smiling at him again, and he thinks he can feel something settle in his heart.

 

“We’re a team aren’t we? Give and take, trust works both ways. So, how about it?” Ladybug extends her fist towards him. “Deal?”

 

Grinning, he meets hers with his.

 

“Deal.”

 

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> tick tock tick tock alternatively titled how not to utilize an analogy properly ayeeeee
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/asterbell_s) | [tumblr](https://tei-gen.tumblr.com) !!


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